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Historically, one associates the Roman Ghetto with Jews. In reality, the “Roman Ghetto” consists of five realities that have co-existed in close proximity to one another over time: the Ancient Ghetto, the Noble Ghetto, the Christian Ghetto, the Jewish Ghetto, and the recent Political Ghetto. We will cover one at a time, to fully understand this fascinating area…
Jews had lived in Rome for many years but a big influx occurred when the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Soon thereafter the Jewish population of Rome increased to 30,000-40,000 living in 13 ‘sinagogi’ or communities.
What we know as the Jewish Ghetto in Rome began in 1555 when Pope Paul (Paolo) IV decreed that all of Rome’s Jews were to be confined in a narrow space between the Tiber and the Portico d’Ottavia. Besides segregation in this unhealthy flood prone area, the Papal Bull stipulated a nighttime curfew (locked in from the outside), the obligation to wear specific clothing, and forced Mass attendance. The Bull also forbade Jews from pursuing all but the most lowly and menial of jobs, and forbade them from owning property, essentially condemning them to fire-prone tenement living.
Despite this, the Jews were the main contributors to much of what is considered traditionally “Roman” nowadays. For example, within the Ghetto, the Jews managed the Mercato di Pesce (fish market) in Via S. Angelo in Pescaria. They developed new dishes over time, such as a delicious fish soup, and a new way to cook artichokes still enjoyed today, contributing greatly with these and other recipes to what is known today as Roman cuisine. Note: Incidentally, travelers to Italy loved the Ghetto and came in droves already in the 1700’s.
Three hundred years later, in 1848, King Carlo Alberto granted Jews the same religious rights as Roman Catholics. Then, when Italy became unified as a nation in 1861 and Rome became its capital, the Pope lost his power and the Jewish Ghetto was opened up. Most of the old Jewish tenement buildings were destroyed during the years 1850-1900, although you can still get a feel for the old neighborhood in the main piazza and some of the alleys around the Portico d’Ottavia itself.
Painting: “La via rua, in fondo il Portico D’Ottavia” by Ettore Roesler Franz (1888)
- These entries are based on a tour given by Antonella Mantovani, a teacher at the Rome based language school Italiaidea. (see www.italiaidea.com)
- Contributed by Gretchen Bloom, ItalianNotebook.com reader and Central Italy expert. Also a recent Senior Advisor at the UN’s World Food Program as well as head of WFP’s Programme Unit in Kabul, Afghanistan, for 15 month. Expert in gender issues and community health. Many thanks!
This Italain Notebook entry is an excellent example of the creative spirit of oppressed people. If affirms the cliche that when someone hands you lemons you make lemonade.
It also reminds us how easy it is for a long time to buy into grotesques ways of being that we think are normal. It took three hundred years to change these horrible rules. Value lessons can by learned from this entry. Thank You for the excellent history lesson. John Bellanti
What a very informative note book entry. I am Italian, my husband is Jewish. He always tries to find a Jewish area when we travel to Italy. We look forward to visiting this piazza when in Rome. It is true, the Jewish culture is a good example of a creative, determined spirit! Great Story!
How illustrative of the force and power of the Church, for so many hundreds of years, to cripple the compassion and fair play instinct of the everyday person. The Church dominated and orchestrated every thought, emotion and action of the Catholic people while so many clerics openly lived outside the so called laws and doctrines . Hopefully there were Italians back then who despite the Church were able to treat the Jews as equals. And once again the lesson that if one tries to eliminate a segment of society they will struggle all the more strongly to survive and create. Bravo, Bravissimo Gretchen!
Thanks so much for your usual well informed note, Gretchen. The ghetto is a must see for people wanting to learn more about the fascinating city of Rome.
There is also an excellent book that readers might enjoy, entitled The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara, by David I. Kertzer. It is a historical thriller about a young Jewish boy in Bologna who is abducted and taken to a monastery for conversion to the Catholic faith as Italy struggled to transform itself into a national state.
“The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara: The extraordinary story of how the Vatican’s imprisonment of a six-year-old Jewish boy in 1858 helped bring about the collapse of the Popes’ worldly power in Italy. National Book Award Finalist, by David I. Kertzer. Non-fiction, sadly.
For a work of fiction there is “History” by Elsa Morante, the Italian novelist. A WWII novel. Each chapter is prefaced with the chronology of the war, followed by the story she has placed in that period. Against the backdrop of History plays out the story of a woman haunted by her Jewish roots and the fear of being discovered. The Jewish Ghetto of Rome and its inhabitants play a central role in the book. Very long, but amazing book. Gives a very good feel for what the ghetto was like before (and after) the Jews were taken away.
The world’s first (Jewish) ghetto (an Italian word) can be visited in Venice.
There are museums and collections dedicated to the local Jewish communities throughout Italy including the Jewish Museum in Rome and the Jewish Museum in Venice. The keywords are “Ebreo” and “Ebraico”.
I think there’s also a well-known ghetto in Ferrara. Could you do a story on that one also? Thanks, Tom
I was born into an Irish Catholic family. I am no longer a catholic but remain a “cultural christian”. How anyone can remain a catholic is beyond me. The church has an absolutely despicable history when it comes to abusing people and sadly, it continues to this day. The church is, by any definition, an international criminal organization answerable to absolutely no one. They’ve got a pretty good gig. Rape, pillage etc..and zero accountability. How pathetic.
It seems worth noting at this point that while the word “ghetto” is an Italian invention, the history of the Jews in Italy is far more complicated a relationship than the word suggests. Their history in Italy is longer and fuller than the ghettos define. It is also worth remembering here that during WWII many ordinary non-Jewish Italians, nuns, and priests risked their lives to aid their Jewish compatriots. For a very good read try “Benevolence and Betrayal: Five Italian Jewish Families Under Fascism” by Alexander Stille.
We visited Trestavere in Rome a few years ago. I am assuming the area referred to is in the same location. Interesting and informative. Unfortunately, it also presents opportunities for the Catholic Bashers to come out from under their rocks. There is nothing as hateful as a “former Catholic”. They hate the Church for their own various reasons. Nevertheless they spew their usual venom at both the faith, and the faithful without distinction. The Church will survive the sins of man as it has survived over the last two thousand years. The Jews will also survive as they have over the centuries despite the threat of extermination by the islamic world.